Eddie, The Patient
by UPlover
Summary: Eddie wakes up sick one morning. Making the decision to go to work, he later regrets it, coming down with a terrible case of the flu.
1. Chapter 1

Waking up with the most horrible ache in his cranium, Eddie clutched at his stomach, groaning. Slowly sitting up from the pillows, Eddie turned off the incessant beeping from the alarm clock sitting on the table next to his side of the bed. That irritating noise made his head feel worse like a bowling ball was crushing it. And his stomach churned like a boat sailing through the sea.

He didn't have the energy to get out of bed. There was no way he was going to be able to go to work like this today. It was best to stay home, rest and... no. A first-year teacher like himself calling out because of some little illness? That would look terrible on his report!

_Don't overreact Eddie, you know it's all in your head. And you know what happens to you when you think like that! _Yes, Myra was right. But, his mother always thought the worse whenever Eddie sniffled or coughed.

Denying that he was sick and that this was something that would pass, Eddie dragged himself out of bed, getting out of his comfortable pajamas, and hardly cared about what he dressed in for the day. Seeing was a hard enough task, cringing from the bright sun shining through the windows.

Walking into the kitchen felt as if he were carrying an elephant over his shoulders. Pouring himself a bowl of cheerios, Eddie turned his nose up at the bowl of cheerios, Eddie turned his nose up at the unappetizing meal floating in the milk. Only eating three unwanted spoonfuls, Eddie felt as if he wanted to heave. Even holding a spoon felt like too much of an effort.

Oh no. That student who was sick on Monday that he had to escort to the nurse. It was in the rule book that no student should ever walk to the nurse's office alone. Luckily (Well, not for them) his student threw up right when he showed up. After work, Eddy went home and scrubbed his body until his skin was red that night. Apparently, it didn't work.

_No, no! Don't think like that! I'm not sick! It's all in your head!_

"What the hell is the matter with you, you piece of shit?!"

For a moment, Eddie believed that his husband was shouting at him. His mind was so muddled that he didn't even notice that the other end of the bed was empty that morning. Due to Richie's career he hardly ever had to work during the day. Today, however, he must have had rehearsals or a meet to attend to.

Turning his head ever so slightly, Eddie just glimpsed Richie's head from out the kitchen window. Why was there a black sludge mark on his face? He was struggling to push something out of the driveway. Was it heard of cows? Making out thick black smoke, Eddie could only guess that it was the car.

_Oh no_. Eddie kept telling Richie that it was time for a new car, but he wouldn't listen. Oh, just thinking about the situation worsened his stomach. Maybe if he stayed as stiff as a statue he'd feel better. The more he moved, he felt worse.

"Hey, Steve, It's Richie." He must have been talking on the phone to his manager. "Listen, I'm having car troubles. No, no, no I will be in, I just need to take my car into a shop so they can have a look... Yeah I know we're rehearsing for tonight's big show by eleven. I will be there! I'm just going to take my car in and then... wait, what? I thought we weren't doing that segment. I haven't even rehearsed that part of the show!"

Smacking his lips together to try and get rid of that fermenting taste, Eddie groaned. He couldn't tell Richie about how he was feeling. He was under enough stress as it was. Due to the life-threatening injury that doctors called a miracle he even lived five years ago, Eddie's immune system wasn't as strong. He got sick easily. Not to mention, it took longer to recover compared to how others got better within a quicker timeframe.

Richie had canceled a good number of his events just to take care of him. While that was great, Eddie felt that he was getting in the way of Richie's career. No, he could never do that. Richie had been talking about this event for weeks. And thinking back to his own job, his boss wouldn't be happy with him calling out at the last minute. That happened enough times as it was.

Heaving his achy body up from the chair while holding the heavy bowl, walking to the sink felt like a longer walk than normal. Feeling his stomach lurch, Eddie grasped the sink counter breathing in and out of his nose.

"... Yeah, okay, as I said, I will be there! And I will bring _my_ script of suggestions!"

Richie stormed into the house, grumbling to himself. Walking into the kitchen he only just glanced at Eddie standing over by the sink, struggling to keep himself up. He stuffed a banana in his mouth and drank some coffee. Due to the car and scheduling for events, the morning escaped him.

"I'm not going to have the time to drive you to work, sorry. Steve booked like a zillion interview rehearsals and the fuckin' car just decided that it didn't want to back up! You don't mind walking, do you?"

_Oh, please drive me? I can barely stand. _"No." That was the first thing Eddie said all morning. It felt like such an effort to even talk. And it hurt.

"Great. I think I'm working late tonight. I'm going to leave now so I can get the car in and then get over to the studio. You never know how long it could take to hail a taxi in the morning rush," Richie said. Then he laughed. "Hey, maybe I could get a taxi for free 'cause I'm, you know, Richie 'Trashmouth' Tozier! Do you think that could happen?!"

Turning around, Richie just caught a glimpse of Eddie disappearing around the corner, opening the front door. "Maybe." And Eddie was gone.

If it weren't for his phone ringing, it was then that Richie noticed that there wasn't a smell of toast in the air. And Eddie's barely-eaten bowl of cheerios was left in the sink without so much of an effort of being cleaned nor being put in the dishwasher as Eddie insisted. Richie lost count on the number of times Eddie chewed him out for leaving dirty dishes in the sink.

Hurrying to catch up with Eddie who was already walking down the last step, Richie struggled to lock the front door trying to keep an eye on Eddie as he half-listened to his manager ramble on. "Yeah, 'k, cool. No, not cool! Sorry, I was, uh... just hold on a sec... Eddie, are you okay?" he called out.

Hugging himself to keep warm despite the sun shining, Eddie stared back at Richie who was getting smaller the further distance his jello-like legs took him. _No, please stop me from going through with this stupid decision._ "Yes."

Was it the smudges on his glasses or did Eddie look sickly pale? And now that he thought about it they didn't even kiss each other goodbye like they did every morning! Was Eddie made at him for coming home late last night? He was already in bed. And it wasn't even ten. "Um... okay, I lo- huh, yeah, Steve, I'm still here! Wait, what time? Shoot, I have to get my car in now! Can Barry or whatever that limo guy's name is come pick me up?"

Trudging along, listening to his stomach making uncomfortable noises, and wanting so badly to go back to bed, Eddie tried to stay positive that he could somehow get through this day.


	2. Chapter 2

"And continuing on… um, from where we left off yesterday… the war had devastated… the entire world…"

Most of Eddie's students' tired expressions resembled his own. Usually starting off the period walking down the aisles of the five rows of tables like he normally did, Eddie sat down at his desk, feeling as if he were going to collapse to the ground. His muscles felt so achy. And anytime he opened his eyes he saw twice the amount of students that he had, causing his unsettled stomach to lurch.

Realizing that he had closed his eyes for a second, Eddie jumped, straightening himself to make it look as if he were well. Would his students notice, was the question? Some of them were playing with their pencils while only a few were fully attentive, wanting to learn.

"Um… who knows the date on when the war ended? William?" Eddie asked a student who wasn't raising their hand.

"Um… September 1, 1945?" he answered shyly, sinking into his chair like a turtle.

Eddie hardly paid attention to the answer. He barely cared about what he was teaching. "Very good."

"Wait, Mr. Tozier, Will is wrong!" Bethany, the teacher's pet, spoke up from the front row. "It was September 2nd, 1945! Not the 1st!" she confronted William making the embarrassed young man hide behind his arms.

_Ugh, please don't shout._ "Right."

"Mr. Tozier, I have a question!" Another boy spoke up.

"Go ahead." Mind over matter. You are strong. You are brave.

"Why didn't we just time travel into the future or to the past and stop the war like that? Isn't that what they could do in _Back to the Future_?"

Now, Eddie noticed that it was his favorite 'class clown' student who loved to stir up trouble. He was very intellectual but refused to show it, constantly making jokes every week, interrupting his lessons. What was he going to say? Didn't he marry a class clown? Oh, no, the clown. He didn't want to think about that nightmare right now.

"Okay, let's move onto history reports," Eddie suggested, struggling to smile. One little movement and surely he'd be ill.

There was an echo of groans and 'I don't want to' responses that floated around the room.

"But, Mr. Tozier, your lecture is supposed to go until 9:15. It's only 8:55!" A student pointed out.

_Was it only 8:55? _"Well, I figured we have a lot to get through. James, would you like to go first?"

This would be easy. He had this group of students until quarter to ten. And then his next class had the same project. All Eddie had to do was listen and grade the assignments later when his mind wasn't so muddled. If he remained as stiff as a statue that awful feeling in his stomach would go away.

His student walked to the front of the room. "For my assignment, I wrote about George Washington. He was famous in history because…"

"… Rosa Parks is my idol. We should all recognize Parks for her courage…"

"… Without Edison, we wouldn't have any light…"

And next, it was the class clown's turn. Did he actually have his paper finished? Why were his eyes spinning? "My report is on Charlie Chaplin, one of the greatest silent comedians of all time!"

Why did Eddie leave the house this morning? There was no way he was going to get through the rest of this day, feeling his stomach churn. Clutching at his gurgling stomach, Eddie felt himself sweating and yet feeling chilled to the bone at the same time. He hardly had the strength to lift up his own head. Peering out the window, the sun dipped behind the clouds. Oh no, would he have to walk home in the rain?

"… Charlie Chaplin starred in many movies, even directing and acting at the same time!" His student went on.

Charlie Chaplin. Oh, yeah, didn't Richie give a report on Charlie Chaplin all those years ago in class? But only… oh, God, no he couldn't think about that disgusting moment!

"… His life was like a roller coaster…"

Roller coaster. Richie forced him to go on a roller coaster one summer with himself and the other members of the Losers Club. Somehow his mother never found out about it. If she ever did she would have skyrocketed into the moon, breaking it. It was the worst experience ever! The ride was so terribly fast, jerking from side to side, going upside down, falling down a steep vertical drop. And the spinning. And spinning. And spinning…

Oh, God, I shouldn't have imagined that! Before Eddie even had the chance to pray, he leaned over the side of his desk. Unbeknownst that the janitor moved his trash can during his nightly chores, Eddie threw up all over the floor.

Eddy's classroom was in an uproar, shouting in disgust, jumping out of their seats, and looking away from the disgusting sight. The student who was giving his report at the front of the room almost tripped himself up backing into a wall.

His head spinning, Eddie felt dizzy, groaning. He clutched at his stomach, in pain. He felt a hand fall on his shoulder.

"Mr. Tozier, are you okay?" His student Bethany asked him.

Eddie's stomach heaved again until there was nothing. As tears trickled down his cheeks, Eddie finally realized what had happened as his students were talking to each other. Feeling his throat close up, Eddie didn't realize that he was being led out of the room by Mrs. Allison, the principal of the school! Luckily, she was walking in the halls when one of his students caught her attention.

"Everyone out into the hallway. Molly, go get the janitor! Mrs. Gregory, can you look after Mr. Tozier's class, please?" Mrs. Allison called into a classroom across the way from his.

Trembling, Eddie held his head in complete and utter shame, tears falling from his eyes. He couldn't believe it. He threw up right in front of his classroom! Teachers never got sick! Especially in front of their students!

The utter reactions of shock and disgust from his students broke his heart. How could he let something like this happen? Now he was going to get other people sick! Parents were going to think that he was an irresponsible man for coming into work with the flu once they heard the news. He felt so stupid for coming to work knowing that he wasn't well.

"There, there, Eddie, the worst is over…" Mrs. Alliston warmly assured him, giving Eddie a tissue to clean off his mouth. She wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder. Although Eddie almost towered over the woman, he couldn't keep up with her speed. He half leaned against her for support. Oh, he was such a burden. The hallways felt much longer than usual.

"L-Look at what I did…" Eddie uttered shamefully, trying to breathe normally. Slow and steady breaths. Almost reaching into his pockets, Eddie remembered that he didn't need that useless inhaler. It was so hard to get used to that, even after five years.

"It's alright, dear, it happens to everyone. You're going to feel a lot better once you lie down," she smiled at him. It was only to hide how disappointed she was. While Mrs. Alliston was a friendly woman, Eddie always feared how he was doing as a first-year teacher. No matter what she always told him how great of a job he was accomplishing. She even became somewhat of a mentor figure to him. Like a mother.

As soon as he was in the office the nurse immediately sat Eddie on a bed with the crinkly white paper used to protect the bed from germs. He cringed not knowing how many other sick students had occupied this bed. Oh, he was already sick. The nurse's office was never his favorite place. That's why he always avoided having to go to the nurse during his time as a student.

It was always his mother who decided if he went to school or not, even if he had the smallest cold. Even Myra obsessed over some little thing when he'd cough. He was surprised that he was never held back feeling as though he missed so much school one year. Eddie never had the say to make his own decision if he wanted to stay home or not.

"Do you think you may be sick again, Mr. Tozier?" The nurse asked holding a thermometer to his ear. She was very friendly offering him water to rinse out his foul-tasting mouth and even avoiding students coming into the office.

"I don't know!" Eddie sniffled, hugging himself, shivering. First, he was warm. Then freezing. He had to admit that he felt a little better. But, not for long. That unsettling churn came back. And it hurt. Being sick was never fun after the injury. Even just the slightest sneeze hurt.

"Calm down, Mr. Tozier. Being upset makes your stomach feel worse. Oh, dear!" The nurse was shocked in the instant she looked at the thermometer. "You have a fever of 102! You poor thing. Here, put your legs up, lie down. Would you like a blanket?"

Eddie nodded. His hands felt like ice. He felt like a kid once more, barely able to form words as tears leaked from his eyes like a waterfall. Tears weren't helping his case. In fact, they did make him feel worse. Eddie felt that burdensome churn again, clutching at his stomach and sitting up, covering his mouth. On instinct, the nurse grabbed the trash can. Standing at a safe distance, she encouraged Eddie who painfully regurgitated into the trash.

Afterward, she helped him lie back down, this time covering him with a blanket. It wasn't big enough, leaving his feet uncovered. Eddie felt so lightheaded that he didn't even care, his head in terrible pain. It wasn't as worse as his abdomen. Pain surged all around, making him moan. If only he had his prescribed pain medication with him.

A flustered Mrs. Alliston came into the room, having overheard. "Eddie, I'm going to get your husband on the phone. He can come and take you home."

"No!" It hurt too much to yell, so he lowered his voice. "Don't call my husband, please?" Eddie begged.

"Why not?" Mrs. Alliston asked alarmed.

"Richie is busy with rehearsing for this show. And he is very stressed." It hurt Eddie to say that. He wanted Richie here now more than anything. No, he couldn't ruin any more of Richie's shows. Richie would be furious with him. That was the last thing Eddie wanted, feeling as if he were getting in the way of it all.

"Could you call my friend Bill Denborough or his wife, Audra? They live in the L.A. area. Their names are listed in the emergency contact, too." That was all the energy he had left to speak, closing his eyes unable to stand the light in the room. His head hurt and he felt so exhausted, ready to fall asleep at any moment.

"Sure, Mr. Tozier. Don't you worry about anything. Get some rest. Is there anything that you need right now?" the nurse asked.

_My husband_. "No," Eddie's voice cracked with a heartbreaking sob.

The nurse comfortingly patted his shoulder. "It's all right. You rest here. Call if you need anything." Before leaving she pulled up the garbage can. Thankfully she turned off the lights.

Eddie was left alone in the little room. How could he let this happen? He was going to get fired he knew it! His boss was masking how angry she was. A first-year teacher sick. In front of his class. How embarrassing.

All Eddie wanted to do was snuggle closely next to Richie, smelling his wonderful cologne. When was the last time they snuggled?

Their schedules hardly coincided. Richie had so many shows after another, coming home late when he had already fallen asleep. And then when he'd wake up for work the next morning, Richie was fast asleep, tangled in a strange pose and snoring lightly.

Sometimes Richie even traveled being gone for close to a week. Before he became a teacher, Eddie went with him. It was the best time. Staying in hotel rooms, eating at the best restaurants, and just getting to spend time together, further bonding in their relationship. He adored those memories.

Succumbing to sleep, Eddie closed his eyes listening to his boss get in contact with Bill.


End file.
